Saving Sasuke
by mschweezy
Summary: That was her mission, to save Uchiha Sasuke. She was the only one who could save him, but who would save her? Who would save her when she lost herself? Who would save her from the nothingness that surrounded her? Even though she didn't know where she was, who she was, the flicker of warmth in the cold air of nowhere comforted her, calmed her.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Mission

* * *

Ino groaned as a persistent knocking was heard from her door. She rolled over, pulling her comforter tight over her head. She smiled as the knocking stopped, but it was short lived as the knocking turned into a frantic banging. Ino let out slew of curses as she kicked off her comforter and sheets and stomped to the front door.

"What the fuck is your problem?! Do you know what time it is?!" Ino growled as she yanked open the door.

Her anger quickly turned into confusion and worry as she saw a frantic looking Sakura.

"Ino!" Sakura shouted as she grabbed her blonde friend's hands.

"Sakura, what's wrong?" Ino asked quickly, returning Sakura's grip.

"It's Sasuke, he's—he's in a coma! Please, you have to come! You have to—" Sakura stated, frantic, as tears began to fall from her eyes.

Ino grabbed Sakura's shoulders, shaking them slightly. "Sakura, breath. Let me get ready and we'll go take a look okay?" Ino said calmly, leading her pink haired friend back into her apartment.

Sakura nodded as Ino left her by the door to return to her room and dress quickly. She had pulled on her normal purple outfit, and raked her fingers through her loose hair before gathering it into her signature ponytail in a matter of minutes. She quickly returned to Sakura who seemed to be in another world. Ino slipped on her sandals and pushed Sakura out the door, locking it behind her.

"Where are we going?" Ino asked as they made their way out of Ino's apartment building.

"The hospital," Sakura mumbled. Ino nodded and they both set off towards the hospital that was only minutes away using the rooftops. They arrived quickly and Ino followed down the corridor towards the ICU.

Ino's brain had been running a mile a minute since she saw Sakura in her doorway. Of course Sasuke was hurt. Of course he had to have a brain injury that only she could fix. Of course it had to be _him_ ,the one person she hated with every bone in her body. Ino couldn't say no to helping a leaf ninja, especially him. Because she might hate him, she might despise him but he was the last Uchiha, and Konoha needed him.

At this moment in time Ino hated the fact that she specialized in the brain, but she would do this. She would save Sasuke, but for Sakura, for Konoha. For her best friend, for her village, and not for the traitorous bastard that tried to kill the people she loved.

When they entered the room she saw an unconscious Sasuke laying in a bed, hooked up to multiple monitors. He had bandages covering most his body, and Tsunade and Shizune were checking his vitals. Naruto and Kakashi were standing in the corner, trying to stay out of the way, but she could see how scared, how worried they looked. They didn't want to lose him…again.

"What's the situation?" Ino asked from the doorway, drawing everyone's attention.

"Yamanaka, good," Tsunade said, grabbing the chart and handing it to Ino, letting her read it as she began explaining the situation. "He was late contacting us, and Sasuke is never late updating us on his mission, which is still confidential. When it became evident that he was not going to contact us the Hokage decided to send Naruto, Sakura, and Sai to his last known location. Upon arrival they found him unconscious and in bad shape. Sakura preformed lifesaving medical ninjutsu on scene before transporting him here. Sasuke was also found with what looks like the enemy, who was also unconscious and in a life threatening state. Sakura also performed enough medical ninjutsu to sustain his life so Sai could transfer him to Ibiki."

Ino nodded, as she stayed quiet for a moment, taking in all the information. After a few moments of silence she walked towards Sasuke and placed a glowing green hand on his forehead. His old teammates looking on with bated breath.

Ino turned towards Tsunade, "It's a genjutsu induced coma. I'm going to have to enter his mind to try to pull him out of it, but I can't guarantee anything."

Tsunade nodded in understanding. "Of course. We will hook you up to monitors to keep track of your vitals."

Ino nodded and looked down at Sasuke, his face relaxed making him look much younger than he actually was. Bringing Ino back to her genin days when she thought she loved the man before her. She looked towards Kakashi, catching his gaze. "Chouji and Shikamaru, are they still in Suna?" She asked.

"They should be back within the next day," he answered.

"Good," she mumbled to herself. She turned back to Tsunade, seriousness exuding from her, "If I happen too still be in his mind when they return, do **not** let Shikamaru in the room."

"Why can't Shikamaru come into the room?" Naruto asked, confused.

Ino ignored the question and turned back to Kakashi. "I need you to make this a mission. You need to tell me that I _have_ to bring him back, and when Shikamaru yells and uses his angry voice you need to tell him it's a mission, and that he _cannot_ come in this room."

Kakashi nodded and straightened his body from a slouching position. "Yamanaka Ino," he began, his voice stern and his eyes serious, "I give you the mission as followed: you are to enter Uchiha Sasuke's mind to retrieve him from the genjutsu in which he is trapped. Do not return until you have successfully retrieved him. Is there anything you require to successfully complete this mission?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama. I require that Nara Shikamaru not be allowed in this room until my mission is complete," Ino replied.

He nodded in comprehension. Ino moved to the sit on the bed Shizune brought into the room. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, calming the thoughts that had begun floating through her head.

"Ino," Sakura called, gaining Ino's attention. "You—you're my best friend, and I wouldn't be the person I am today without you. I know this is dangerous, and I just—I just…I won't hate if you fail," she finished, tears starting to fall from her eyes. Naruto stepped up and wrapped around his pink haired teammate and friend.

Ino smiled as she saw the little girl she found years ago crying from the bullying she had been subjected to in front of her. "Sakura," Ino smiled, grabbing the crying woman's hand. "When have you known me to fail? I'm Yamanaka Ino, daughter of Yamanaka Inoichi, student of Sarutobi Asuma, I don't fail," she finished winking at her best friend.

Sakura returned her smile before Ino turned her attention back to the mission at hand. She adjusted herself on the bed and flew through the appropriate hand signs before collapsing on the bed. Tsunade adjusted Ino's body on the bed as Shizune began hooking her up to multiple monitors.

"What if—what if she doesn't find him?" Sakura whispered.

Naruto pulled her closer to him, "Come on Sakura, when have you know Ino to give up? She's as stubborn as me!"

Sakura chuckled and nodded, but kept her attention on the two unconscious people in the room.

* * *

Thank you all for reading! I have never written a story like this, and I'm really excited about it. I'm not sure how I want to approach all parts of the story yet, but I do have a rough outline for the entire story finished. I'm still not sure about the little details just yet, but that's fine. I don't think I'll actually show Ino in Sasuke's brain seeing as this story is supposed to focus more on Shikamaru, but I'm VERY excited to write this and share it with you all! Please let me know what you think of the first chapter so I can have a little more idea of what I want to do with the details of the story!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Reason

* * *

"What the fuck do you mean I can't go in there?" Shikamaru growled as Naruto blocked the door that led to the unconscious Ino.

"I'm sorry Shikamaru, but she requested that you weren't allowed to see her until _after_ she completed her mission," Naruto apologized, shrinking slightly from the heat of the Nara's glare.

"I don't give a rat's ass what she _requested_ , now move Naruto, or I'll make you move," Shikamaru threatened, his voice ominously low.

"Stand down Nara," Kakashi demanded from behind Shikamaru. Shikamaru whipped around to see his Hokage glaring at him from down the hall. "This is an official mission, and she explained to me that if you were in the room she would not be able to successfully focus on the mission. You are _not_ to enter that room. That's an order."

Shikamaru held Kakashi's glare for a long moment until he let out a strangled growl and punched the wall next to him.

Chouji placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, squeezing it slightly, "I'll go in there and check on her, okay?"

Shikamaru sighed and nodded once. Chouji quickly disappeared behind the door he so desperately wanted, _needed_ , to be behind. Once the door closed Shikamaru turned back to Kakashi, his voice deathly serious, "How long has she been inside his mind?"

"Twenty-seven hours."

"Fuck," Shikamaru cursed under his breath, collapsing in the chair across from the room. He raked his hands over his face, letting out an exhausted sigh.

"What's the big deal? This _is_ Ino we're talking about! She's the one that came up with the process of pulling people out of comas in the first place," Naruto smiled, trying to ease the genius's mind.

Shikamaru looked up at Naruto, a sardonic smile plastered on his face. "Every time Ino leaves her body it's dangerous, and not just physically dangerous because she can't defend herself, but mentally as well. The longer her conscious is away from her body the more of a chance she won't be able to find her physical body again. The more of a chance that she will be lost. At twenty-seven hours there is only a 7.8% chance she will be able to find her body again, but you know all this, correct?" Shikamaru finished, directing the last question to the masked Hokage.

Naruto's eyes widened at the information, and then turned his attention to the solemn Kakashi. "You knew this? You knew this and let her go in there anyway?!" He shouted, accusation and disbelief dripping from each word. Kakashi didn't answer, opting to just stare at the blonde Hokage-to-be instead.

Before Naruto could act on the anger he felt bubbling inside of him their attention was drawn to the door Chouji was exiting from, closing it behind him. As soon as the door was closed Shikamaru stood up and waited for the information he so greatly needed.

"Her vitals are stable," Chouji said quietly, not making eye contact with the shadow ninja.

Shikamaru nodded and watched as Chouji avoided eye contact and nervously bit his bottom lip, his tell-tale sign that there was something he wasn't saying. "Chouji, what is it?" Shikamaru asked, desperation in his voice.

"She—she…I can't sense her anymore," Chouji mumbled, finally looking into Shikamaru's eyes.

Shikamaru held the eye contact for a moment, seeing the fear swimming in Chouji's eyes, before he turned on his heel and left the hospital as quickly as he could. He had to get out of there. He felt panic starting to bubble up his throat. The walls felt like there were closing in on him, and he felt the oxygen being sucked from his body. He had to get out of there. He had to get away.

* * *

Chouji turned to Kakashi once Shikamaru was out of sight, asking the question he couldn't bear to ask in the room, "How long has she been in there?"

"A little more than twenty-seven hours," Kakashi answered calmly.

"Damn it Ino," Chouji muttered under his breath as he looked back at the door he had just left.

The small group stood silent for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts before Naruto spoke up, asking the question that had been rattling inside his head since Chouji informed Shikamaru of her state. "What do you mean you can't _sense_ her anymore?" His normally loud rambunctious voice now soft and quiet.

Chouji looked towards Naruto and took a deep breath to calm his nerves before beginning. "Even before becoming a team our parents had told us about the great Ino-Shika-Cho triad. How they worked in sync with each other to form some of the strongest teams Konoha had ever seen. How they each played a vital role to capture and contain the enemy. The Akimichi would always back the enemy up to the Nara, who would trap the enemy, so the Yamanaka could invade their mind. As our team grew we found that if Ino could stay in someone's mind long enough she could uncover vital information, information we could use to benefit Konoha."

"Right, I know all that, but—" Naruto's question fell short as Chouji lifted his hand, silencing him.

"That moment Ino decided to elongate her visits to other people's minds became the moment we couldn't protect her anymore. Every time Ino leave's her body she's vulnerable. Yes, we can protect her physical body, but there is nothing that we could do to protect her conscious. She's all by herself, and we're helpless. That was something Shikamaru couldn't stand, he couldn't sit by while Ino risked her conscious in someone else's mind for just a chance of finding a little bit of information. So that's when he created the method of sensing her. Sensing her conscious, her soul," Chouji paused, watching as Naruto's face contorted in to confusion.

"It's like how you can sense another shinobi's chakra, or how if Sasuke, Sakura, or Sai are near how you can sense them," Chouji explained, seeing the understanding starting to shine in Naruto's eyes. "Shikamaru and I have trained ourselves to be able to sense Ino's conscious, so when she does use her mind techniques for elongated amounts of time we can still make sure she's okay. But of course Ino is Ino, and she began to push her limits. She began to push how long she would stay in someone's mind, which would make her conscious waver. So yes we could sense her, we could sense when she was wavering, but we still couldn't do anything about it, we were still helpless. So Shikamaru found a way to help, he found a way to pull her back when she would fade. Which is why Ino made sure Shikamaru couldn't go into that room until she finished the mission. She knew she would fade, and she knew if Shikamaru felt that he wouldn't hesitate to pull her back, successful mission or not."

"Wait—pull her back?" Naruto interrupted again, having a hard time wrapping his mind around all the information he had been given within the last half hour.

"As I've said, and you know, our clans have always been close, but the Yamanaka and the Nara clans are even closer because of the way their clan techniques work around each other. They have a special bond," Chouji continued, pausing for a moment to try to find the right words. "Shikamaru found a way to keep Ino from venturing too far from reality. I'm not exactly sure how it works because I have never been able to do it, and Shikamaru has never really been able to put it in words on how he does it. But I think it has to with Shikamaru and Ino's…close bond that he's able to find her and bring her home, back to her physical body."

Naruto didn't speak when Chouji finished, he let Chouji's words bounce around his head for a few moments before finally looking up the Akimichi. "So because of Shikamaru's love for Ino he can find her no matter where she is and bring her back to him?"

Chouji smiled softly and nodded, "Yeah, that's probably the best way to explain it."

"And now he's going to have to live without the woman he loves because we didn't want to lose Sasuke. Because we didn't want to lose the man that couldn't give a rat's ass if he was here with his team," Naruto muttered, clenching his fists at his sides tightly.

Chouji placed a firm hand on Naruto's shoulder, pulling his attention from the anger that bubbled within him. "No, don't do that. Don't let Shikamaru's statistics scare you. She _will_ bring Sasuke back, and then she _will_ come back. It might take her a minute, but she _will_ come back," Chouji said, his voice strong and eyes serious.

Naruto smiled slightly and nodded, trying not to think of what would happen if Chouji was wrong. Trying not to think of what Shikamaru would do if Ino never did return to her body. Chouji returned his smile before dropping his hand back to his side and started to make his way to where he knew Shikamaru was. He nodded once at Kakashi as he left, who's sight was on Naruto, watching the emotions play on the young man's face. The both stayed quiet for a while before the blonde finally looked up at his Hokage, his sensei, eyes burning with pure rage.

"You didn't tell me any of this! I wouldn't have let this happen if I would have known, and neither would Sakura!" Naruto growled, advancing on Kakashi who remained calm.

"I know, that's exactly why I didn't tell you. You will learn when you become Hokage that you have to make the tough decisions and not everyone needs to know all the information," Kakashi explained, his voice void of emotions.

"What the hell are you talking about?! So you let Ino go in there knowing it was a suicide mission because you're the Hokage?!" Naruto yelled grabbing the front of Kakashi's robes, pushing him up against the wall.

"As the Hokage you must decide which shinobi is more important," Kakashi stated, causing Naruto to drop his hands and a gasp escaped his lips. "Ino has trained some of her clansmen in the techniques she uses to draw people from their comas, while Sasuke is that last living Uchiha. The last living user of the sharingan. His life is more important than hers, and I acted on it. Ino understood this when she accepted the mission," Kakashi finished, holding the glared his student had fixed on him.

After a few minutes of heated tension Naruto finally let out a sigh and sunk into the chair that stood next to him. He let out a bitter chuckle as he raked him hand through his messy, blonde locks, "Being the Hokage isn't all it's cracked up to be is it?"

Kakashi returned the small chuckle as he took a seat next to Naruto, "No it really isn't."

* * *

"Hey," Chouji called as he walked over to Shikamaru, who was leaning against the outside wall of the hospital, a cigarette dangling from his lips. Shikamaru didn't answer, opting to watch the sun rise against the horizon. Chouji leaned next to him and indulged in the beautiful site before him, willing himself to wake up from this terrible nightmare. Almost thirty minutes passed before Shikamaru finally spoke.

"I hate this," he muttered, the pain evident in his voice.

"I know, I do too," Chouji sighed, rubbing the back of his neck slightly.

"I hate it even more because I know this was the right call. She's disposable, but Uchiha, he's not. I fucking hate this," Shikamaru growled, his voice catching at the end.

Chouji knew there were tears threatening to spill from his best friend's eyes. He kept his eyes forward as he spoke because he couldn't watch Shikamaru cry. He could look at the pain that was tearing his teammate apart. He had to stay strong, strong for Shikamaru, strong for Ino. He couldn't break down because his team needed him to be their rock.

"I know your statistics, but Ino's not a statistic. She's Yamanaka Ino, daughter of Yamanaka Inoichi, student of Sarutobi Asuma, she's invincible," Chouji chuckled quoting what Ino had told them on many occasions when they had doubted her.

Shikamaru chuckled at the phrase. Chouji was right, Ino wasn't a statistic. She _was_ Yamanaka Ino. She was the 1%. She was the reason nothing in his life could go according to plan. She was the gorgeous, loud, obnoxious, beautifully strong woman he had fallen in love with even though he swore he was going to fall for an average girl. She was anything but ordinary. She was the only reason he actually believed in miracles, because she was his miracle.

He paused for a moment reveling in the optimistic thoughts running through his mind before reality hit him like a ton of bricks, making his stomach drop to the ground. "But what if she _is_ the statistic? Chouji I don't know how to live without her," Shikamaru whispered, tears finally escaping his eyes and rolling down his face as he turned to look his best friend in the eyes.

Chouji bit his bottom lip as he looked at the man next to him. All of aloofness gone and fear and anxiety gripping him at the throat. He had never seen Shikamaru like this before, even in the worst missions he had always stayed calm. He grabbed Shikamaru's shoulders before pulling him into a tight hug. "Don't worry about that until we have to," he said sternly. He didn't have anything else to say to him because Shikamaru was right. How would they live without their sunshine? How would they get through anymore heartbreak or losses without Ino smiling and telling them to buck up? Their thoughts were broken when Shizune appeared.

"Sasuke's waking up."

Shikamaru pulled from Chouji's embrace and ran past her in an instant, barging into the room where he saw Sakura and Naruto leaning over Sasuke. His eyes were automatically drawn the unconscious blonde whose vitals Tsunade was checking.

"Saskue-kun?" Sakura whispered as Sasuke's eyes scrunched closed from the bright light of the hospital.

He groaned as he brought his hand up to shield his eyes. "Ino?" he called as he finally opened his eyes, still squinting. Confusion filtered itself on his face as he saw Sakura instantly. "Sakura?" he asked as both eyes finally fully opened. Sakura broke down into tears as she threw her arms around the last Uchiha's neck, relieved he was back.

"Welcome back Sasuke," Kakashi said from the foot of his bed, a smile evident behind his mask.

"Back?" he muttered before finally remembering what had happened. "I was put under a genjutsu," he stated, looking for clarification from Kakashi, who nodded once.

"Yeah you were out bastard! Welcome back!" Naruto smiled brightly as he slapped Sasuke hard on the back.

Sasuke cringed slightly from the pain that Naruto's slap left. He looked down at the pink haired girl in his arms, trying to piece together what had happened. He rubbed her back slightly before pushing him off of her and holding her by the shoulders, looking her in the eyes.

"Sakura, where's Ino?" he asked, his voice slightly desperate. Sakura smiled at him, wiping the tears from his eyes and looking towards the bed that sat next to his. Naruto moved out of the way so he could see his savior laying in the bed next to him, still unconscious.

"She's—" Sakura began, only to be cut off by Shikamru's rough growl.

"Gone."

Everyone's attention turned to the Nara who stood at the foot of his teammate's bed, grabbing the footboard so tightly it began to crack under the pressure. He turned to look Sasuke in the eyes, his hate seeping from every pore in his body, "She's gone, but hey, at least she completed her fucking mission."

"Shikamaru," Chouji whispered, turning his head from the unconscious blonde to the seething man next to him.

"Gone? What do you mean gone Shikamaru?" Sakura asked, clearly confused.

"Her conscious, her soul, it's gone. It was gone from her body too long so she's—she's gone," he finished, his voice becoming nothing more than a mere whisper at the end as he stared at Ino. Ino who looked as though she was peacefully sleeping. Ino who was his teammate and one of his best friends. Ino who he was completely and utterly in love with. Ino, who was gone.

Everyone in the room was silent, each one taking in the information Shikamaru had given them in their own ways.

"What have I done?" Sakura whispered, staring at the still body of her best friend.

"You chose, that's what you did. You chose _him_ over your best friend," Shikamaru spat. Sakura's eyes widened at the accusation, tears filling her eyes once more.

"You chose that _traitor_ over the woman who has _always_ been there for you!" He yelled, advancing on the pink haired kunoichi.

Chouji grabbed Shikamaru's arm tightly, forcing him to stop his advance. He whipped his head toward the Akimichi who was glaring at him. "That's enough!" Chouji growled, returning the spikey haired man's glare. "Ino _knew_ what she was doing, and you **don't** get to take out your anger about her choice on Sakura!"

Shikamaru fumed at his best friend that restrained him. They stood glaring at each other, no words slipping from anyone's mouth for what seemed like an eternity before Shikamaru ripped his arm away and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Chouji let out an exhausted sigh and ran a hand through his already messed up hair. He looked over to Team 7 who had varied expression on their faces.

"I'm sorry. He doesn't think straight when it comes to Ino," he chuckled slightly, looking at his female teammate.

"It's all my fault," Sakura whispered, her voice breaking as tears started to roll down her cheeks.

Chouji shook his head as he brushed Ino's bangs out of her face. "It wasn't yourß choice Sakura. Yes, maybe you asked her to do this, but you know Ino. You can ask her to do something until you're blue in the face, but if she doesn't want to she won't do it. As soon as she heard the mission _she_ made the decision to save Sasuke. It wasn't your fault, it's hers. She was reckless and now…and now she's gone." Chouji finished, a small, sad smile on his face as watched her lay still, motionless, almost as though she was frozen in time.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Request

* * *

 _She closed her eyes for a moment as she followed Sakura across the rooftops towards the hospital, letting the wind whip around her face and letting her mind wonder. She knew what she was about to walk into. He was in a coma, meaning she would have to enter his mind to retrieve him. She would have to enter that bastard's mind again. No matter how hard she tried to get away from him, he just kept popping up in her life._

 _Every time she even thought about him she would feel her rage bubble up in the pit of her stomach, making her want to punch him in the face or rip his mind apart. He tried to kill her home, her loved ones, and it made her see red. But it wasn't just that that made her hate him more than she has hated anyone before, and she knew it. He reminded her of who she used to be; the girl who chased after a boy who wanted nothing to do with her. The girl that cared more about her looks than her skill, the girl that would ruin a friendship for a stupid boy. She hated him with everything she had, but that didn't matter because he was a Konoha ninja, and in all reality his life was much more important than hers._

 _She remembered the first time she entered Uchiha Sasuke's mind, years ago. When he first returned to Konoha after the war Tsunade forced him to go through multiple harsh psychological tests before he could be a part of the public. She was hell bent on staying as far away from him as possible, but it looked like the world was against her because she was lucky enough to be the chosen Yamanaka that would sweep his mind daily. So she became very familiar with his mind, much to both of their chagrin._

 _The first time she entered his mind she remembered being shocked, shocked at what she saw, what she felt. The human mind has many layers; the first layer was the entryway to the brain. It was different in everyone, but they all had something in common: it was the place they felt was the beginning of their life, the place they would always consider home. She would have thought his first layer would have something to do with his time with Orochimaru, his time as a rogue, but it wasn't. It was the street to his childhood home in the Uchiha compound._

 _She knew the exact street because she had run down that street to Sasuke's house millions of times as a kid, either with Shikamaru and Chouji, or with Sakura. It looked just as she remembered, felt just as she remembered; bright, warm, friendly. To say it was a shock was an understatement._

 _As she raced to the hospital she went through every layer of his brain, remembering every detail to help her get in and out of his mind as quickly possible. But dread loomed over her because she knew the only reason she was called was because there wasn't anything anyone could do. She was the last result._

* * *

" _Yes, Hokage-sama. I require that Nara Shikamaru not be allowed in this room until my mission is complete," Ino replied._

 _He nodded in comprehension. Ino moved to sit on the bed Shizune brought into the room. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath._

 _Her heart was racing, not because of the mission, she stopped getting anxiety about missions long ago. The reason behind her anxiety was Shikamaru. She already knew what was going to happen, she knew she was going to push her limits this time around, and Shikamaru…well he was going to be pissed, but she couldn't think about that, about him, right now because she had a mission. Save Uchiha Sasuke._

* * *

"Fucking Uchiha," she cursed as she looked around the dark street that was Sasuke's mind.

She sighed as she closed her eyes, trying to focus on the task at hand. _Find Sasuke_. As much as she disliked the man she had a mission to complete, and Yamanaka Ino didn't fail missions. She could feel Sasuke's conscious, so that was a plus. He was still here, just lost. Lost in his own mind.

She opened her eyes to really take in where she was. She was in his entryway to his mind, but it was different. Gone was the warm, inviting childhood street. It was now dark, cold. She could see signs of a genjustsu everywhere. She closed her eyes and concentrated her chakra before letting it whip around her, disengaging the genjutsu. The street flooded with light and the warmth returned.

"That was too easy," she mumbled to herself, confusion filtering on her face. The only reason she would've been called in was because Sakura, Shizune, and Tsunade couldn't disengage the genjutsu. Three of the top medical ninjas couldn't pull Sasuke out of this genjutsu, but she was able to use a simple disarming jutsu to flush it out? She stood, pondering on this for a moment before shrugging it off and moving further into Sasuke's mind, deciding to stay on high alert. She only removed the genjutsu from one part of his mind, and by the feeling of it this was just the tip of the iceberg.

She walked down the street, towards where she knew the entrance to the second layer of his mind to be.

* * *

There was something she was missing. Sasuke had seven layers in his mind, and she had already made it through five of them. Each one was the same as the first. The genjutsu had darkened the mind, but was easily over turned by a simple disarming jutsu. What was she missing? How could Tsunade not wake him from this? She furrowed her brow as she looked around the sixth layer of his brain. It was a cave. She wasn't sure where this cave was in reality, but here it felt like the air was heavy; forcing her to move slower as to not become light headed.

That must be part of the genjutsu. It was strange, as simple as this has been she felt tired, drained, like she had been there for hours.

That's when it hit her, that was what she had been feeling. She _had_ been there for hours, but for how many? She paused for a moment and leaned against the cave wall. The cold stone felt nice against her flushed skin. Her breath was labored and sweat was dripping down her face. Her chakra was low, and she began to feel light headed. She was fading.

"Damn it," she cursed as she let her head fall back against the cave wall. How the hell did she not figure it out sooner? She chuckled as she ran a hand over her sweating forehead, "I really fucked up this time Shikamaru."

This was the reason Tsunade couldn't disengage the genjutsu. It warped the time in his mind. That's how the genjutsu worked, it made it impossible to disengage the genjutsu in every layer before the shinobi runs out of chakra. Well, _nearly_ impossible, they didn't bet on Yamanaka Ino coming to his rescue.

She pushed herself off the wall and concentrated on the genjutsu at hand and disengaged it.

"One layer left," she panted, pushing herself towards the last layer, towards Sasuke. There was no turning back now. It was already too late, so she might as well save that bastard so all this wasn't for nothing.

* * *

Sasuke stared at the unconscious blonde in the bed next to him. Everything had finally settled down, giving him a much needed moment's peace; a moment to finally _think_ about what had happened within the last 48 hours. He remembered his mission: find out about the possible uprising just south of the Sound. After days of searching nothing had come up. On his way back to Konoha was when he encountered an unmarked shinobi, a **strong** unmarked shinobi. Sasuke had the upper hand, but he made a mistake, he got cocky and turned his back on the shinobi, and that's when the bastard got him, when he was hit with the genjutsu.

He couldn't escape it. It was like he was falling, falling through his own mind and he couldn't stop. Every time he would reach out everything would crumble around him. As he fell deeper in his mind he became less aware of what was happening around him until he became completely lost in his own mind. Forcing him to relive the most painful moments of his life over and over again, and there was nothing he could do. Nothing. But suddenly the sun appeared in his memories and he heard his voice being called.

"Sasuke."

He tried to reach out, tried to grasp the sun that called for him, but the darkness kept pulling him back. Pulling him deeper, blurring his reality. But before the darkness swallowed him whole the sun reached for him. He felt heat explode around him, chasing the darkness away saving him. After the light had chased away his darkness he saw a figure hidden in the sun. He looked closer and saw her, Yamanaka Ino, the light of team 10.

"Ino?" he asked, confusion littering his face.

"Idiot," she scoffed, glaring at the last Uchiha.

"What's going on?"

"You're a fucking dumbass who got trapped is a stupid genjutsu and have your teammates worried sick. Idiot," her voice was a low growl and she yelled at him.

He knew she hated him, and she had every right. He tried to destroy Konoha, he helped spread hatred between multiple countries, but the thing he knew what she was most pissed about was the way he had treated Naruto and Sakura. He hated himself for treating the two people that loved him unconditionally like shit.

"Sorry," he mumbled, catching her off guard. She shook it off quickly and grabbed his hand, pulling him forcefully.

"Come on, there isn't much time left," she urged, dragging him behind her.

"What do you mean?" he asked, letting her pull him.

She didn't answer right away, focusing on the mission at hand. He watched her as she moved, sweat dripping down her face and her breathe labored. It seemed like an eternity before she finally stopped.

"How long have you been in my mind?" he asked as she wiped sweat from her eyes.

"Too long," she answered. He watched as she leaned forwards gasping for air, trying her best to catch her breath.

"Ino–" Sasuke began, only to be cut off by the blonde shinobi.

"Shut up idiot, there's not much time left so listen," she snapped. "I've disengaged the genjutsu so you'll be able to wake up, but, and listen up because this is important."

Sasuke nodded, listening intently.

"When you wake up you need to find Shikamaru. You need to find him and tell him, don't stop searching. Don't give up. Okay? You've got to tell him," she finished, her voice becoming slightly frantic towards the end.

"Ino what are you saying?" Sasuke asked, becoming alarmed at her frantic state.

"You've got to wake up now Sasuke," she said, her voice barely above a whisper and fear swimming in her eyes. "And don't forget to tell Shikamaru–"

"Don't stop searching, don't give up," he finished, earning a small smile from the blonde.

And the next thing he knew Sakura was in front of him and Shikamaru was yelling, and with all the chaos he forgot to tell Shikamaru the message.

Sasuke finally tore his eyes away from the blonde and moved to unhook himself from the monitors he was attached to.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Sasuke looked up to see Tsunade leaning against the door frame.

"After all the work I've put into you, you're going to just get up and risk reopening your wounds," Tsunade scolded as she walked over to him and began to check his vitals.

"I have to find Shikamaru," Sasuke said, wincing as Tsunade pushed on a particularly sore spot.

"I think you might be the last person he wants to see at the moment," she spoke, her voice soft as she began to rewrap the wound on his head.

"Yeah, I know, but I have a message for him. A message from Ino."

Tsunade stopped her ministrations to look him in the eyes. "From Ino?"

He nodded looking back over to his blonde savior.

"Well you can't leave the hospital just yet," Tsunade commanded. "But I'll try to get him here, okay?"

He nodded as he laid back down, exhausted from everything. He glanced one more time towards Ino before letting his exhaustion take hold and fall into a deep slumber.

* * *

A/N: Don't worry guys, I know I'm actually the worst person to ever person. I'm sorry I abandoned you guys! My computer broke and it took forever to get a new one, and as soon as I did I decided to go back to school. I'm not abandoning this story because I LOVE this story, so I'm going to do better I promise! So here is a short little chapter and I'm already working on the next! Again I'm SO SORRY! Thank you for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Search

* * *

Hate. That's the only thing he could feel at that moment as he glared at the last Uchiha. Tsunade had come to him earlier that day and practically dragged him back to _their_ room. Their. It left a bad taste in his mouth, he didn't understand why they hadn't moved Sasuke out of her room yet, and when he voiced his thoughts he was promptly shut down by the former Hokage. They couldn't move her because then it would be harder for her to find her body, but him, he was stable, they could move him to a separate room. Hell, they could move him into an active volcano for all he cared.

No one talked and he stayed rooted in his spot next to Ino, his hands grasping at the rails of her bed, and his jaw clenched so tight it began to ache. _Just breathe_ , he thought to himself, forcing himself to take a sharp breath.

"Shikamaru," Tsunade called, trying to draw the shadow nin's attention. His glare didn't waver, fixed solely on Sasuke. Tsunade sighed and looked towards the Uchiha, but he was holding Shikamaru's glare with his own. "Damn children," she scoffed under her breath and leaned against the wall.

Sasuke didn't mind Shikamaru's glare, or the obvious hatred rolling off of him in waves. He was used to it. Ever since he returned to Konoha he received one of two looks. The look of joy, people actually happy he, the last Uchiha, has returned, or the look of pure hatred. The latter was the one he received more often than not, and he couldn't blame them. He went rouge, he tried to destroy the village that raised him. He was a monster, so he could handle Shikamaru's hate because he had a mission. Save Ino.

"She left me with a message for you," Sasuke finally spoke, watching as Shikamaru furrowed his brow slightly. "Ino, before I woke up she left a message for you. She said to tell you, don't stop searching. Don't give up."

Every bit of anger and hatred inside of Shikamaru vanished in an instant, he felt like someone just dumped ice water over his head. Everything around him vanished and all he could see was her; her peaceful, resting face. All he could hear was her; her slow and steady breathing. He lowered himself into the chair that sat next to her bed, and delicately wrapped his hand around hers. He closed his eyes and focused on her. On her breathing, on her pulse, on her.

 _Don't stop searching. Don't give up._ It ran through his mind over and over again. It would become his mantra. _Don't stop searching. Don't give up._

He inhaled deeply and reached his chakra to her, analyzing her being. _Don't stop searching. Don't give up._ Her conscious wasn't there, which he already knew, but when you don't know the answer to the question you start at the beginning. She is the beginning. From her he could stretch to find her. He _would_ stretch to find her. _Don't stop searching. Don't give up._

* * *

Nothingness. That's what she could see, feel, hear; nothingness. She didn't know who she was, is? She didn't know how she got there or what she was doing there, but she knew she was supposed to be somewhere, somewhere that wasn't here. Here in the nothingness. She was nowhere, but somewhere. Somewhere she wasn't supposed to be.

* * *

"You're good to get out of here, but listen here Sasuke, that does not mean you can run off and start training. You need to take it easy for the next two weeks. You're not fully healed, and cannot go on any missions until I clear you, do you understand?" Tsunade asked, her voice firm, her eyes stern.

Sasuke nodded as he slipped on his sandals and stood from the bed. He felt weak from his injuries which only served to anger him. He hated feeling weak, and that was the only thing he felt since he fought that rogue nin.

"Ready to go Sasuke?" Naruto asked from the door, a smile on his face.

"We fixed up a bed at Naruto's for you, but don't worry I cleaned his place up first," Sakura smirked as she walked over to him, hesitating before placing a hand on him arm.

Sasuke looked down at the hand, seeing the hesitation return to Sakura from his action. "Thank you," he said softly trying to make her feel acknowledged. She smiled brightly before dropping her hand and walking over to Tsunade.

"It's not like my place was _that_ dirty, just a little bit of trash on the ground," Naruto pouted.

Sakura rolled her eyes, "Oh whatever! I probably threw away at least two hundred instant ramen cups!"

"Shut up!" Shikamaru growled, interrupting Team 7's banter. Their heads snapped to the seething shadow nin. "Just shut the hell up so I can concentrate."

No one spoke, each lost in their own feelings. Naruto bit his bottom lip as he watched Shikamaru turn back to the blonde still unconscious in the bed. His heart ached for Shikamaru. Shikamaru who hadn't moved an inch since yesterday when he began his search. Shikamaru who always had a solution to everything. Everything except this.

Sakura stared at her blonde best friend, guilt engulfing her system. She was happy for a moment, happy that Sasuke didn't shrink from her touch, happy that he acknowledged her, happy he was here, but he was here because she wasn't. She sacrificed herself for him, and Sakura was happy. Guilt consumed her, how dare she be happy. Her best friend was gone most likely forever and she was happy because a boy noticed her?! It made her sick and ashamed.

"Come on, let's go," Sasuke interrupted their thoughts, as he walked out the door, casting a glance to his blonde savior and her dark-haired guardian before walking out of the room. Give Shikamaru the silence and privacy he wanted and deserved. Naruto and Sakura quickly followed, letting the door close behind them.

"Well that's one way to clear a room," Tsunade spoke as she began to check Ino's vitals.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes before leaning back in his chair, letting Tsunade do her work. "I can't concentrate with their incessant chattering."

Tsunade chuckled as she finished her work and began to write in Ino's chart, "Then you'd be a terrible doctor."

"I'd be a terrible doctor for many reasons," Shikamaru smirked as he stretched his arms over head.

"That's very true. Have you eaten anything lately? Slept?" Tsunade asked, watching Shikamaru lean forward in his chair and grabbing Ino's hand once again.

"I'm fine," he said, brushing off her concerns.

Tsunade rolled her eyes as she walked towards the door, closing it gently behind her.

She leaned against the closed door and let out an exhausted sigh.

"You look like shit."

Tsunade opened her eyes to glare at the silver-haired intruder. "Better than you, asshole."

Kakashi smirked under his mask as he came to lean next to her. They didn't talk for a few moments just letting the silence engulf them before he finally turned to look at her, "Any change?"

Tsunade sighed as she shook her head, "No, nothing."

Kakashi let out a disappointed breath. He pushed himself off the wall and walked away from the room. He paused momentarily, keeping his back to Tsunade. "Get some rest, you're looking your age."

Tsunade watched him leave, letting him disappear behind a corner before cursing him quietly, "Asshole."

* * *

He stared at the blonde in the bed. It had been two days. Two days of focusing on her, searching for her, but there was nothing. He couldn't find her. He gritted his teeth and dropped his head. Two days of searching for her, plus the half day it took that traitor, bastard to deliver her message to him after he woke up, meaning it had been about three days since she vanished. _Don't stop searching. Don't give up._

"Damn it Ino, come back, please…just come back," he cursed. He cursed the situation, he cursed their career choice, he cursed the stupid blonde girl in front of him.

He hated this. Waiting.

He chuckled as he sat next to her, grabbing her hand and holding it in his. He thought of all the times she made him wait in their lives. She was never ready when he came to get her, be it for a mission, or something she was dragging him to, she was never ready.

Each and every time she would answer the door with a smile on her face, that smile that said 'please don't be mad'. And he would be, he would let a deep frown crease his face. Every time it was the same. She would drag him into her home and push him onto the couch, flipping the TV on to something she thought he would like and shoving a drink into his hand before disappearing back into her room to finish getting ready.

After she reappeared she would easily lead him out of her house and wrap and herself around his arm, and chatter away about everything and nothing. Every time she would touch him his heart would stumble over itself. You would think after all these years he would get used to it, but no, every time there was electricity.

After going on and on for minutes on end she would finally notice that he had yet to say anything, meaning he was still mad. And every time she would pout, looking up at him with those big, clear blue eyes, and every time he would fold just like that. Because in the end he was never really mad that he had to wait, but he liked to pretend he had some control in their relationship, even if he didn't. Even if she had all the control.

And here he was waiting, waiting for her to return to her body, to him. He would wait as long as she needed him to. He would wait forever for her. _Don't stop searching. Don't give up._

* * *

It was cold there in the nothingness. Cold, was the only sensation she could feel. Her eyes searched the void for something, anything, that would tell here where she was, who she was. It was frustrating, the unknown. It was even more frustrating because she knew she wasn't supposed to be there, and it was on the tip of her tongue where she was supposed to be. Where was she? Who was she? She thought that maybe if she kept asking herself those questions she would come up with an answer. But there wasn't one. There wasn't an answer, and maybe there never would be. She looked around the void again and let out a sigh. Maybe she should get comfortable here in the void, here in the nothingness.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Realization

* * *

"You need to eat," Chouji stated from door of Ino's room. He watched as Shikamaru furrowed his brow from the interruption. "You won't be able to keep this up if you don't eat."

Shikamaru let out a frustrated sigh as he opened his eyes and set a glare on his chubby friend. "I'm not hungry," he growled, his voice hoarse from lack of use.

"You look like shit," Chouji said as he dropped himself into the unoccupied chair on the other side of Ino.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't have time to eat," Shikamaru said more seriously, his voice almost a whisper. Don't stop searching. Don't give up.

Chouji sighed and looked at their blonde teammate, swiping her fringe out of her face before looking at Shikamaru seriously, "You have to eat Shikamaru. If you don't you won't have the strength to continue."

Shikamaru held Chouji's stare for a few moments before groaning and falling back into his chair. "Fine," he groaned.

Chouji smirked and handed him a bento box. Shikamaru popped it open and quickly began to indulge in the delicious food inside.

"From your mom?" Shikamaru asked, his mouth full of food.

Chouji nodded as he ate his own bento box. They ate in a peaceful silence, the only sounds coming from the monitors attached to Ino.

"Have you had any luck?" Chouji finally asked the question that had been burning in his mind since Shikamaru started this.

Shikamaru didn't answer right away. Not wanting to say the words he dreaded. "No, nothing," he cringed as he said the out loud. Feeling like he was letting her down. _Don't_ _stop_ _searching_. _Don't give_ _up_.

Chouji pursed his lips as he turned his attention to the unconscious blonde. He let his mind wander for a moment before Shikamaru drew back his attention.

"Thanks for the food Chouji, but I have to get back to work," Shikamaru stated his eyes already closed again and his concentration on Ino.

Chouji sighed and grabbed the empty bento, placing it back into his bag. He gingerly kissed Ino's forehead before walking back to the door. He stopped briefly to cast one more glance at Shikamaru who was already fully engulfed in his mission. Save Ino.

* * *

Shikamaru sighed when he heard the door click closed. He appreciated Chouji. Chouji was always taking care of him when he didn't do it himself. There had been many times throughout his life that he put his own health on the back burner, before the chunnin exams, during and after the 'Rescue Sasuke' mission, at the start of the war, after Asuma's death, during the war, after his father's death, anytime there was a Kage meeting, and every time Chouji would find him and force him to eat. Ino would too, but not to the extent Chouji would. He was always there for him, and he couldn't express how much that meant to him.

He looked back at the blonde, frustrated that it had been three days and NOTHING. He couldn't find one trace of her. He bit his lip and leaned back in the chair, letting his head fall back so he could see the ceiling.

"Too bad you couldn't have lost your body outside, at least then I could watch the clouds," Shikamaru mumbled. He didn't move for a while.

 _Don't stop searching. Don't give up._ Those two small phrases ran through his head over and over. She left him an impossible task, find her when she vanished. They had talked about this before, if her conscious didn't make it back to her body and she vanished into nothingness.

She had always said to terminate her. She said if she didn't wake up right away then there was no way she would. She wouldn't ever find her body again. It made him sick, physically nauseous thinking about having to terminate her. But why leave the message then? She wasn't afraid to die, she hadn't been afraid to die since after the chunnin exams. There was something he wasn't getting yet. Something he was missing.

 _Don't stop searching. Don't give up._

* * *

He paused his search when he heard the door click open. His hand tightened on hers as he felt his chakra enter the room. That bastard had the audacity to sully her room with his presence. He clenched his jaw, trying to keep his rage from boiling over. He heard some shuffling and the obvious lifting of her chart. He finally opened his eyes to see Sakura going through her chart, her bottom lip clamped between her teeth, a habit she did when she was concentrating.

Sakura finally looked up to meet his glare. She didn't shrink from the intensity, knowing it wasn't actually for her, just his frustration from the situation; frustration she shared.

"Her vitals are holding steady," she mentioned as she ran a green lit hand from Ino's head to her feet.

"Well that's good, right?" Naruto asked from the foot of the blonde's bed.

Sakura nodded as she quickly scribbled in her chart. "Yes, that means her body is holding up well without her," she paused her heart dropping in her chest, not able to finish her sentence. The room stayed silent for a moment before Sakura huffed and pulled a chair to sit next to Ino. She grabbed her hand and studied it for a moment before scoffing, causing Shikamaru to look at her with confusion littering his face.

"Geez Ino, I know you've had a lot on your plate lately, with creating new jutsus and studying under Ibiki-san but you really let your nails go to shit. No wonder you don't have a boyfriend, pig," Sakura mocked, talking to Ino as if she were awake.

The pink-haired kunoichi grabbed the bag she had brought with her and placed it on Ino's bed, next to her legs. She shuffled through it until she found what she was looking for. With a nail file in her hand she began to shape and buff the unconscious blonde's nails.

"You're lucky to have a friend like me, I hope you know. I have tons of more pressing business, but here I am, doing your nails. Really you owe me, maybe you should take me out to dinner, or buy me something nice. I saw some earrings at that boutique on the corner, next to the cake shop we love, you can get me those as a representation of your gratitude. Oh! And the matching bracelet," Sakura smiled as she worked, chattering away.

"Sakura," Naruto called, his face contorted with confusion.

"Hm?" She looked over at him, pausing her ministrations.

"What are you doing?" He asked, not understanding what she was going on in the pinkette's brain.

Sakura smiled, a small, sad smile, placing the nail file down and just holding her best friend's hand in hers. "I'm hoping she'll hear me. I'm hoping if I talk enough, then where ever she is she'll be able to hear me and it will help her find her way back."

Naruto let her words sink in for a moment before he smiled and nodded. "Well that makes sense. Hey Ino, guess what?!" he shouted grabbing a chair to sit next to Sakura. "Shino and Tenten are a couple now! I know you're gonna roll your eyes and tell me to shut up because that's not true, but it is! I have a very reliable source on this one!"

Sakura laughed as she went back to work, choosing a color that would adorn Ino's nails.

"Oh, and Kiba and I are almost positive Lee has a secret girlfriend. He hasn't been training at his normal time and he always rushes to shower after a spar, which he never used to do, saying his sweat was youthful or some shit," Naruto continued. Thinking of all the gossip that she had missed in the last couple of days.

Ino had sucked him into the world of gossip one day after a hard mission. She had found him sitting on a bench in the rain, sulking, and dragged him to get ramen and talked his ear off with the happenings of Konoha and their residents. It had lifted his spirits and they had made it a ritual after either one came home from a long mission.

Shikamaru's brow was furrowed as he watched Ino's unchanging face. Letting Sakura's words bounce around in his head. _Help her find her way back._ Ino was always very realistic of her short-comings and her abilities. She had always told him to terminate her if she didn't return to her body right away, but then she sent Sasuke with that message. Don't stop searching. Don't give up. It was like someone sent a jolt of electricity through him; his eye widened and he cursed himself for being so stupid. Idiot-genius, was what she always called him. She wanted him to help her find her way back.

Sakura looked over at Shikamaru seeing a realization dawn on him. "What is it Shikamaru?" She asked, anticipation and hope filling her voice. Her question quieting the chattering male blonde in the room.

Shikamaru lifted his eyes from Ino's face to Sakura's. He let a lazy smile cover his face, "Sometimes I forget how smart you actually are, Sakura."

Sakura furrowed her brow, trying to decide if she should feel offended or not. He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair before elaborating, "She wants me to help her find her way back. She doesn't expect me to find her on my own because that would be impossible, but I just need to help her find her way back."

Sakura let his words sink in and saw the joyful smile playing his lips. He could do it. He would help her find her way back. She smiled at him, feeling a small relief ease the tightness in her chest. "Well if you're going to find her then you should probably go shower, because you smell like shit, and she'll be pissed if she wakes up to that smell," Sakura smirked.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, but she did have a point. He hadn't left her room for three days now, and Sakura was probably right, he probably smelt awful. Especially since before he got back he had traveled from Suna. He glanced over at the Uchiha who was leaning against the far wall. Their eyes met briefly and Shikamaru felt his rage flare back up. Sakura watched the exchange and quickly grabbed Shikamaru's attention.

"Seriously Shikamaru, you _need_ a shower. You're making this place reek. Don't worry about her, we'll stay with her until you get back. I have to get at that hand you're holding anyway. She'll be pissed if I only do one hand," Sakura smiled, urging Shikamaru to take a minute for himself. He needed a minute to clear his head for his own good.

Shikamaru debated whether to leave her or not. He trusted Sakura and Naruto, but not him. He knew Sasuke wouldn't do anything, but he just hated the thought of him being near her. It made his blood boil, but Sakura was right, he did need to shower. It would help clear his head so he could focus on trying to help her find her way back.

He sighed and stood up, stretching his arms above his head and let out a yawn. He brushed her hair out of her face and let his hand linger for a moment before walking towards the door.

"I'll be back in about 20 minutes, keep her company for me," he called over his shoulder as he opened the door and left.

After the door clicked closed Sakura went back to Ino's nails, making sure they were perfect.

"You know Ino you're lucky to have a guy love you like that. That's why you have to come back. Because me, I'll get over you if you die. Don't get me wrong it will suck because you're my best friend and I love you, but eventually I'll cope and move on. But Shikamaru, he won't. If you don't come back Shikamaru will never forgive himself. He'll never move on. He'll either kill himself, or become so withdrawn from society, from himself, it will be like he's dead. So, you have to come back, for Shikamaru," Sakura sighed, grabbing the nail polish and painting the first coat on Ino's hand.

The room stayed quiet for a couple of minutes after that, everyone mulling over Sakura's words. Naruto sighed and moved to Shikamaru's vacant seat and grabbed Ino's unoccupied hand. "She's right Ino, so you better come back. Because if you don't who's going to be my Head Interrogator when I become Hokage! You can get anyone to talk, it's creepy as hell!" Naruto joked.

Sakura laughed and rolled her eyes. Naruto continued talking about everything and nothing. Filling the silence easily and comfortably.

* * *

It was boring in the void. It was boring not knowing anything but this nothingness. The constant questions that ran through her mind were annoying. Who was she? How did she get there? Where was she supposed to be?

It wasn't just the questions that were bugging her though. It was something else, but she couldn't figure it out. She had had a sinking feeling in her chest ever since she had woken up in the void. Like she had done something, something that she shouldn't have done. She looked around and saw nothing and no one. She let out a sigh and closed her eyes. Letting her mind wander, hoping for an answer.

* * *

He was tired, exhausted. Searching for her was exhausting, it had been four days, but he wouldn't stop. He could tell he had lost weight, but it didn't matter. Only she mattered. He stretched his chakra as far as he could, and called for her. Chanting her name over and over. He wasn't sure if this was going to work, but he had to try.

He kept it up until he felt his chakra waver. He let go and let out an annoyed groan, leaning back into his chair and looking at the ceiling.

"You're annoying, I just thought you should know that," Shikamaru sighed, letting his eyes slip to the girl next to him.

He watched as her chest rise and fall with her breathing, but no sound came from her. No snippy comment or exaggerated eye roll. Nothing.

He sighed feeling the ache in his heart and the fear that gripped his stomach. What if he didn't find her? What if he lost her and had to live his life without her? He had never considered that option. Life without her. He had always thought it would be him to die before her. At least he had hoped it would happen that way.

 _Don't stop searching. Don't give up._

He rubbed his tired eyes and sat back up, grabbing her hand. He wouldn't give up on her. He would search for her until he died.

 _Don't stop searching. Don't give up._

* * *

Nothingness. Everywhere was nothingness. She was everywhere and nowhere. Somewhere that was nowhere. Everything was the same as it was when she had first opened in her eyes and saw the void. She was getting used to the nothingness, expecting nothing, and coming to terms with the fact that she probably would never find the answers to her questions. But just as she was becoming comfortable for one moment there was something. Something in the nothing. Her brow furrowed as she focused on the something, but it was gone as soon as quick as it came.

She didn't know what that something was, but it was something. Like a flicker of warmth in the cold air of nowhere. It was nice, but gone in an instant. But maybe, just maybe, if she focused she would feel that warmth, that something one more time.

* * *

His eyes snapped open and he looked at Ino's unconscious form. Was that her? For one second he thought he felt her. No, he _knew_ he felt her conscious. For one second he found her, but she was gone just like that. He couldn't believe it, he found her. He found her. He found her!

A smile stretched his face and a laugh erupted from his chest. He sounded like a lunatic, but it didn't matter because he found her. Even if it was just for one second it proved this wasn't hopeless. He took the first step and now it was time to run it home. He gathered his focus and stretched his chakra again, this time shouting her name. He had to find her again. He would find her again.

 _Don't stop searching. Don't give up._

* * *

She was getting used to the void and even growing fond of it until she felt that flicker of warmth. Now all she could think of was that something. Maybe that something knew who she was, or where she was supposed to be. So, she would just sit there and wait for the something to return. She closed her eyes a focused. Focused on that something. She would find it, because it was something. Something in the nothing.


End file.
